We’re reaching out to see if other hosts have had similar experiences with Airbnb refusing to remove a retaliatory review, even when it contains graphic and offensive language, following the denial of a refund request.
We are very disappointed with the way we have been treated by Airbnb. We contacted them immediately after receiving a surprise refund request from a guest in April, seeking their advice.
The guest requested a refund after checking out for the first night of his stay due to a delayed flight (they did not check in until 2:05 am). While we feel bad for their travel delays, this was completely beyond our control. The guest also expressed disappointment over not receiving a late checkout. However, we had clearly communicated in a timely manner that this would not be possible due to a same-day guest arrival. Under different circumstances, we would have gladly accommodated the request.
In the same refund request, the guest added a second complaint and a refund of cleaning fees, claiming he found “dirty underwear” in the unit in the middle of our stay.” He never raised this concern during his stay, and it only surfaced during the refund dispute. We produced evidence that only this guest had access to the unit during his stay, and the apartment was thoroughly cleaned and inspected prior to his arrival. This fabricated story is entirely false and appears to be an attempt to intimidate, extort, and manipulate us into issuing a refund he was not entitled to. We submitted all supporting documentation to Airbnb through multiple channels.
As mentioned before, we contacted Airbnb Support immediately upon receiving the refund request and expressed concern about possible retaliation. Airbnb assured us that removing such a review would not be an issue. As we feared, after the refund was denied, the guest posted a review that included false statements and graphic language. Specifically, the review contains the explicit phrase: “...discovering dirty underwear with ****** in the apartment the last night of our stay.”
We flagged the review due to its retaliatory nature and explicit content, which we believe violates Airbnb’s content and review policies. Since the review appears to be motivated by an unfulfilled refund demand, we believe it constitutes an act of coercion and retaliation. We requested removal under Airbnb’s guidelines concerning inappropriate content and extortion. Unfortunately, Airbnb refused to remove it. We were denied twice, and the option for any further discussion was closed.
Our request for a report or documentation detailing how Airbnb evaluated the review, including the criteria or evidence considered in determining that no violations occurred, went unanswered. This has left us feeling gaslighted by Airbnb.
As a parent, I’m especially concerned that such explicit content is visible on a public listing and accessible on shared devices in our home, where our child could easily see it.
Has anyone else experienced a similar situation? We followed Airbnb’s advice from the beginning, yet we feel completely unsupported.
